MomoOmiTaro: Xiaolin Dragon
by Theodore Barrington
Summary: This is my take on the classic Japanese Folk-Tale starring characters from Xiaolin Showdown. Enjoy and all feedback is welcome...
1. Chapter 1

_A long time ago, in an ancient land now lost to civilization, there was a band of mighty warriors that served under the emperor. The Xiaolin Dragons were lead by a powerful warlord named Daishi, who was a close companion and advisor to the emperor. The Dragons were unsurpassed in the martial arts and fought many battles on behalf of the emperor. _

_Until the emperor was assassinated by one of his own bodyguards. _

_Daishi - overcome with sorrow for the loss of his friend - disbanded the Dragons and exiled himself into the far provinces of his country. The code of the Dragons decreed that they could only ever serve one master for the duration of their lives. So with heavy hearts, they all went their separate ways._

_One of the Dragons, Fung, decided to marry his child-hood sweetheart Oyo. They settled down and although he became a humble woodcutter, he never forgot his roots. The couple shared many years of happiness with only one regret. They never had a child. Until one day, that all changed_.

***

Oyo sighed with a mixture of contentment and longing as she walked to the nearby river. On the one hand, it was a beautiful day, perfect for clothes-washing. But on the other, she wished that she could have a child. Of course Fung always said that he loved her no matter what. But still, she often watched other women with their children and felt an empty hole in her heart.

Nevertheless she set about her task with gusto, scrubbing away diligently, singing to herself. Then she saw something that made her forget all about the washing. A peach was floating down the river. A very large peach at that. She plunged into she shallows and when the fruit came close enough, she grabbed it. It was a marvelous specimen with a rich golden-red skin. It was perfectly round and not a single blemish to be found. It was very heavy, but she managed to carry the peach back to the hut as she awaited the return of her husband.

When Fung returned, she showed the fruit to him.

"Husband, look at this peach? Have you ever seen such a magnificent fruit?"

Indeed he had not.

"Where did you find it?" he asked.

"It came floating down the river. I saw it as I was washing the clothes."

"Well it seems that we shall have a fine feast tonight!" said Fung and went outside. He returned with a carving knife to cut the fruit. But just as he prepared to make the cut, the peach split into halves by itself! But there instead of a pit in the centre of the fruit, a young healthy baby boy! Granted his head was a bit rounder and out of proportion with the rest of his body and his skin had a yellowish tinge to it, yet still the old couple were overcome with joy. The heavens had finally blessed them with a child! Oyo had tears in her eyes as she cradled the infant.

They decided that they would call him Momo-Omi-Taro, which meant Peach-Head-Boy. This was partly due to his head having a startling resemblance to the fruit from which he came from.

As the years passed, it became clear that he was growing quickly and that he would be as strong and courageous as his father was.

***

"Once more my son," said Fung as he watched Omi as he leapt high and kicked the wooden training dummy in the head. That normally would have been difficult enough for a boy of nine-years, but do to his natural ability, Fung added the extra challenge of strapping a heavy pouch of grain to each of Omi's legs. Fung had taken it upon himself to train him in the way of the Xiaolin Dragon, just as Daishi had taught him. He was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Omi never questioned his instructions, nor did he complain like other young martial-art practitioners he had known. Truth be told, Omi really enjoyed his training. It was the only time when he felt like a normal person. Despite having grown, Omi's head remained slightly bigger than the rest of his body (although it never affected him physically) and his skin still appeared yellowy in hue. His mother often worried about him as it was hard for him to make friends with the other children in the nearby village as they usually avoided the strange looking child. He was able to make become friends with a little blind boy named Mala, but that is a story for another time.

***

During his eighteenth year, Momo-Oni- Taro began to have distressing nightmares.

"I heard you cry out in your sleep again last night," Fung said one morning at breakfast. "Is everything alright?"

"I have been having troubling dreams father," replied Omi after some time. "In my dreams, an monster army of iron and steel were ravaging village after village, terrorizing people, destroying their homes and burning their crops while their demon master with his pale skin and red hair watched in triumph."

Fung sat back in deep thought.

"An army of iron monsters you say?"

Omi nodded. "You've seen them?"

"Once. When I fought alongside the other Dragons with Master Daishi, we encountered several of such creatures. They were rampaging through the forest, so we needed to stop them. It took much of our skills as warriors and we lost two good men. But we defeated them and took their remains to be buried on an island in the middle of the ocean. I think that your dream was in fact a vision. A message concerning your destiny. Those iron monsters may be returning to finish what they started and in greater numbers. I think that it has been foretold that _you_ must be the one to vanquish them before they do."

"Do you really believe that I am ready father?"

"You have excelled in your training. I believe that your skills will surpass even mine. You _are_ ready."

So with that, Momo-Omi- Taro prepared himself for the journey ahead.

He wore a loose tunic and matching pants over a lightweight coat of chain mail armor and a broad brimmed, woven rice straw hat. This was the traditional garb of the Dragons. The martial-art of Xiaolin required easy, unrestricted movement, so armor was kept to a minimum. Oyo gave him a small package.

"These are some millet cakes for you to eat on your journey. They are food of the warriors," she told him. Then Fung presented Omi with a sword. It's scabbard bore an emblem of a jade dragon. He pulled the sword out of it's sheath and revealed a stunning black blade.

[NB: Think Soakka's sword in _Avatar_]

"This is _Kanojo Cho _- the dragon's fang. It is said that it was carved from a falling star by a mountain dragon. It served me well in battle and shall do so for you also. Wear it by your side as a tool, a symbol of your promise to oppose all evil and injustice. Remember all that I have taught you and always use your head as well as your instincts. Know that I have always been proud of you and glad of the joy that you have brought to your mother and myself!" Omi knelt before his father and accepted both sword and advice.

After thanking his parents, they bid each-other their final farewells. Then Momo-Omi-Taro, the Xiolin Dragon, set off on his journey to stop the demon general and his army of iron monstrosities…..

_[Well that's part one folks with part two on the way!!!]_


	2. Chapter 2

Omi walked north for two whole days. His plan was to travel to one of the sea-side villages and persuade a merchant to take him to the island. There he would confront the demon general and then banish him from this world and for that he knew that he would have to call on all of his skills. Eventually he came to a small village that was surrounded by miles of rice paddy fields. As he made his way through the fields, he saw two figures approaching him. One was a sour-faced skinny little man, wearing slightly tattered robes and a pair of spectacles. His companion was a tall muscular man, who was dressed in simple brown tunic and pants and had blonde hair.

"You cannot come in here. These fields are private property of the village! You must leave immediately."

"Good sir," said Omi evenly, "I only wish to pass through your fields."

"Well you cannot. Not without express permission from the headman, which is me, and I do not."

"Please, I am on a very important mission and I must pass. It is a matter of life and death. To go around your land would add another three days to my trip, which I cannot afford."

"No, no, no! I will not allow it. This is _my_ village and unless you pay the fee, you cannot pass through here," yelled the little man. Then, turning to his counterpart he said "Remove him!"

The giant moved towards Omi, cracking his knuckles in preparation.

"I'm real sorry about this, but I got my orders. If I don't follow then I don't get paid and I can't eat," he said apologetically.

Then without warning lashed out with a meaty fist. There was no doubt that he was fast, but Omi was faster. He dodged the punch then landed several strikes of his own, all which seemed to be ineffective. Changing tactics, Omi leaped up and put his hands on his opponent's shoulders to give himself extra lift so he could flip over the top. Before the other man could turn around, Omi drew his black-blade and casually flicked it towards the headman's neck.

"Please, this needs to stop before someone gets hurt."

All traces of unpleasantness had been replaced with fear in the headman's as he stood quivering. The other man looked as though he was about to keep fighting anyway, but reconsidered.

"You're right. That was completely uncalled for. My apologies."

The headman barely noticed when Omi re-sheathed his sword and went on his way. A few minutes later, he heard heavy footsteps approaching, sloshing through the fields behind him. Perhaps they had changed their minds and attack him again. He tensed, ready for conflict.

"Hey, where are you goin' pal?" It was the big man again.

"I am travelling to the north, until I reach a sea dwelling village. From there I hope to get a boat to reach the forbidden island. It is my duty to prevent armies of metal monsters from invading our land. I will vanquish their demon general and return home."

"Sounds like quite a journey. Mind if I join ya?"

"What about your village? Do you not need to protect it?"

"Well sure, but if those metal critters aren't stopped then the village will be destroyed anyway," replied the stranger. "By the way, my name is Xiong- the great bear."

"I am Momo-Omi-Taro, Xiaolin Dragon. Tell me Xiong, what skills do you possess?"

"Well," said Xiong thoughtfully, "I guess I'm pretty strong. Watch this."

Walking over to an oak tree, standing at the edge of the fields, Xiong seized the trunk and heaved. After a few moments, the tree began to creak and uprooted. "There's a reason the call me the great bear you know."

"Your strength certainly is impressive," marveled Omi. "Perhaps you could accompany me on my quest after all."

Before they left, Omi shared a millet cake with his new friend, to keep their spirits up for what was sure to be a difficult journey.

***

Soon they came to a dark, dense forest. Xiong had never seen so many big trees all in one place, and was a little bewildered. Omi – being the son of a woodcutter- was more accustomed to it, yet he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched.

"Stay close and stay alert," warned the bald boy.

There was a rustling among the branches above them and they heard an unearthly screeching far away. Omi drew _Kanojo-Cho,_ while Xiong took up a ready stance. There was another screech, closer this time, followed by more rustling and then with a whoosh, a speeding blur swooped down and plucked Omi's sword from his grasp. The screeches turned into laughter.

"Ho-ho! All who enter here are surely doomed. There is none that can stand up to the demon of the forest," taunted a voice, which seemed to come from all directions. "I took your sword, but soon I will take your life!"

Xiong refused to be scared into fleeing and threw himself at the closest tree from where their tormenter seemed to be hiding and knocked it over. He roared in anger as the laughter continued.

"Ho-ho! Truly pathetic."

Omi signaled for his friend to keep still as he came up with a plan.

"My friend, isn't it obvious that to resist such an awesome foe? Our only consolation is that we may share one of these fine millet cakes before we die." He calmly opened the small bag given to him by his mother, ignoring the puzzled look from his companion. He split a cake and handed half to Xiong before beginning to eat, savoring every mouthful. After a moments hesitation, Xiong followed his lead. A sudden snapping of a twig alerted Omi, and he felt something tug at the pouch that hooked on his waist. As swiftly as a snake striking at it's prey, he reached down and grabbed the hand. With a shriek of dismay, the forest demon realized that it had been tricked. Now that it was out in the open, they could get a good look. The 'demon' was actually a young man, with an olive complexion and jet black hair. He clutched a golden staff in one hand, on top of which a monkey was carved. Then they noticed that he appeared to have a tail growing from his nether regions, a sign that all was not as it seemed with him.

"So this is the dreadful demon of the forest eh? More like a thief!"

"Let me get my hands on him," growled Xiong, "Then he'll be the fearful demon of the forest." At this, the ersatz demon paled.

"Arg….please spare me, oh noble travelers," he pleaded. Omi told the strange fellow that they meant him no harm, but he still kept his firm grip. Instantly, the would-be thief changed his tune, becoming chummy. "Well, Saru the monkey-lord has never been caught before. And who might the honorable one who has managed to capture me?"

"I am Momo-Omi-Taro, and this is my companion Xiong- the great bear. We're just passing through on our journey north."

"Well Peach-Headed-Boy, this sounds interesting. Can I come along?"

"I don't think so," snorted the great bear. "Not after you tried to trick us like that."

Saru looked sheepish.

"We all have to make our living somehow," he said.

"Your agility would be a useful asset indeed," said Omi, releasing Saru. "If you would be so kind to return to me my sword, we can all be on our way immediately." The monkey-lord climbed skillfully up a tree and retrieved _Kanojo Cho_.

"I suppose I couldn't trouble you for one of those millet cakes could I?" he asked and the trio set off again.

[Part Three is on the way!]


	3. Chapter 3

The three companions journeyed until they came to a sheer cliff face. Because going around the cliff would take far too long, they had no choice but to scale it. Saru, being the most agile, lead the way, as sure footed as though he had lived on the mountain all his life. Omi was close behind him. Xiong however, was less at ease at great heights than on the ground, nevertheless, he was climbing slowly but surely. As they neared the summit, a harsh voice rang out, seemingly coming from every direction at once.

"Who dares defile the mountain of Taka, master of the sky? More vile treasure hunters, coming to pillage and plunder? Well I tire of your kind!"

Without further warning, a winged figure burst out from behind an outcrop, giving an almighty shriek. Saru had been caught unawares and losing his balance, began to plummet towards the ground. Acting quickly, Xiong reached out and caught Saru by the tail, causing the monkey-boy to screech in pain. By doing this, the great bear's grip loosened and he began to slide downwards. Omi released the belt around his waist, letting Kanojo-Cho drop and lowered one end to Xiong, who wrapped it around his wrist. The dangling Saru managed to grab the Dragon Fang sword before it fell out of reach. Despite the desperation of the situation, Omi couldn't help but notice their quarry. A first glance told him that they were dealing with a large bird. Upon further inspection though, he realized that it was a person, wearing a bird's head mask and a white feathered robe. The wings did not move, suggesting that the person was using a what looked like a giant kite, meaning that instead of actually flying, the person was riding air currents. The person who now had them at a disadvantage. Omi braced himself as the bird-man swooped down towards them and plucked Saru from Xiong's grasp, before 'flying' up to the top of the cliff, where they landed on the solid ground. With the extra weight gone, Omi and Xiong managed to pull themselves up to the top of the cliff. The man stared at the group as they lay on the grass, catching their breath. Noticing this, Omi leapt to his feet, ready to fight again if necessary. But the winged-one held out both hands in a gesture that he meant them no harm. Relieved, Omi slumped back down on the ground. Saru's rescuer reached up and removed the bird mask, revealing the face of a young _woman_.

"You're a girl?" asked the Monkey-Lord, dumbstruck.

"Yes, and what of it? I saved you didn't I" she replied sharply. She turned to Omi and Xiong and her tone lightened. "Forgive me for attacking you, but I thought that you were thieves. But when I saw you risking your lives for each other, I knew you must be good people."

"Your apology is accepted. I am Momo-Omi-Taro, and my companions are Xiong the Great Bear and Saru- the Monkey Lord."

"I am Taka- the Hawk- master of the skies and keeper of the surrounding valley. Just as my father was before me."

Xiong, who was inspecting her 'wings' was impressed by the design. "Gee missy, you sure had me fooled back there. I thought we were being attacked by a giant bird."

"That's the whole idea. These cliffs are home to many big birds of prey, who build their nests here to ensure the safe arrival of their young. Many people would like to capture the birds, so I use my glider to allow me to attack them from above," replied Taka. "Now tell me Peach-Headed one, why are you here?

"We're just passing through, on our journey north. I'm going to vanquish a powerful demon and destroy his army of metal horrors."

Taka's brow creased in thought. "Hmm….I had heard rumors of such a thing. If what you say is true, then these creatures must be stopped. The fate of my valley depends on it."

"Then will you come with us?"

Taka nodded and replaced her mask.

"Then together we shall go to the island and we shall be victorious," he said. They shared the last of his millet cakes before continuing their quest.

***

When the group arrived at the sea side , they found it difficult to hire a fishing boat. The villagers believed that the island out in the ocean was haunted and did not want to risk losing their boats forever. Eventually they managed to persuade one fisherman to sell them his boat, using money that Taka had brought with her.

However, only minutes after they had set out in the boat, the wind died down. The ocean was as still as a pond. The island was still a long way off, and they had no paddles. There was nothing else to do but wait for the wind to pick up again.

Saru was relaxing and enjoying the sun's warmth as he lay across the bough. He let his tail dangle in the water, drifting alongside the boat. Suddenly the water bubbled and boiled, and up rose a gigantic seaweed covered being, looking like a cross between a person and a fish.

"Kappa!" screeched Saru, hanging on for dear life.

It grabbed the side of the boat and begin to rock it violently back and forth. Omi and Taka clung to the mast as Xiong tried to keep his footing long enough to fight off the water demon. Then another creature- this one smaller than the first rose up on the other side.

"Hey, cut that out!" yelled the second monster. Somewhat reluctantly, the first creature let go.

"Sorry about that. My brother tends to get very worked up over little things. You wouldn't happen to be carrying any food on that boat of yours are you?"

Omi, Taka and Xiong shook their heads. Saru looked sheepish. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a squashed millet cake. "I was saving it for later."

The second monster nodded knowingly. "That'll be it then. He loves his fish and all, but wave a little bit of human food within fifty feet of him and he'll go crazy. My name is Brian by the way, and that's Wally. "

The monkey shrugged and tossed the cake to the bigger monster, who caught it in his mouth and swallowed it whole, licking it's lips.

"I don't suppose you gentlemen would mind giving us a little push over to the island over there by any chance?" asked Taka after introductions had been made.

Brian scratched his head scales thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose we could give you a good nudge to get you going. Can't refuse a nice little lady like yourself now can we?" Brian went over to his brother and whispered something to him. Wally nodded his head enthusiastically.

"It's settled then. Fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentle men, here we go!"

"What's a seatbelt?" asked Omi as the Kappa began pushing the boat.

***

With the Kappa brothers' help, the travelers reached the island in no time. As Brian and Wally could not leave the water, they parted ways. It wasn't hard to find the stone-wall fortress. Climbing a hill that overshadowed the fortress, Omi, Xiong and Saru waited behind as Taka used her glider to survey their surroundings from above. When she came back, she reported all that she had seen.

"Omi was right. There are many metal monsters down there. They're big round and have a single glowing red eye, that must be their weak point. They don't look too tough. I haven't seen the leader yet though."

"What about entrances?" asked Omi.

"There is but one gate. It is gigantic and I fear even Xiong with his great strength could not open it."

Omi thought for a while. "Alright, I have a plan. We'll wait until it is darker before we strike. Taka and Saru, you can fly and climb over the walls. Find a way to open the gates. Xiong and I will be waiting. We strike hard and fast, take no prisoners, but leave the general to me." The others nodded their agreement.

They didn't have long to wait, and their cause was helped when a fog descended over the island.

Moving silently, Saru climbed the wall as Taka watched from overhead, her powerful eyes piercing through the fog. As the monkey looked for a gate-tower, Taka prepared her diversion. Aiming for the red lights, glowing in the fog, she began dropping small gourds filled with a special black powder she had procured from foreign merchants. The gourds exploded on impact, briefly lighting up the surroundings in a bright flash. The iron soldiers stumbled around in confusion, looking for the source of the attack.

Saru meanwhile had managed to open the gate. As soon as it was open wide enough, Xiong and Omi rushed inside, giving terrifying war cries. Kanojo-Cho was slashing in all directions as Xiong smashed the machines with his bare hands. Saru joined the battle, leaping over his opponents and driving his staff into their eyes. Taka had run out of gourds and flew down to deliver the occasional kick before soaring back up and out of reach.

Seeing that his friend were looking after themselves, Omi left to find the demon general. It wasn't hard. All he had to do was look for the fanciest chamber, spoils of previous plundering no doubt. Kicking down the gilded door, Omi stormed into the room.

"Show yourself demon!"

A head popped out from behind a curtain. The general was an unimpressive sight. He looked like a normal person, if not for his exceedingly pale skin and his unnatural shade of fiery red hair. And the two large horns on top of his head. He looked surprised that Omi had found him.

"Hey? Who are you calling demon, baldy? I'm just as human as you are. And you know you guys shouldn't keep smashing my robots. It's not nice!"

"I am Momo-Omi Taro, and I have come to vanquish you."

"Well….uh…I'm Jack Spicer….and…uh…"

Omi refused to be swayed to it's deception and held dragon-fang at the ready.

"Oh, you wanna fight me now huh? Alright then."

The demon General walked over to the wall and pulled down a large broad-sword, which he swung awkwardly. Cunning as the demon may have been, it was no swordsman. With a wild and oddly high-pitched scream, it charged. Omi rushed over to meet it. Kanojo-cho flashed past it and with a crackle of energy, the demon's horns fell off.

"Augh! My antenna!" cried the Jack, dropping the sword and clutching at it's head. "Now how am I supposed to control the Jack-bots?"

"It appears as though I have taken your power away. My task is complete," said Omi, sheathing his sword.

But jack wasn't quite finished yet. He swung a fist at Omi, who blocked it with ease and retaliated with a snap-kick to the chest. Putting the failed general in an arm-lock, he marched it out to the battle field, where Saru was excited to see him.

"Hey Omi, you did it! The monsters just froze and fell over! We won!" he exclaimed.

"What do we do with him?" asked Xiong. "Maybe we should leave him hanging down a cliff by his legs?"

"Or we could feed him to the water kappa," suggested Saru helpfully. Omi shook his head.

"No, we will hand him over to the villagers. I think they will be eager to get their hands on him after all he has done to them."

Jack appeared to grow even paler at the mention of these things. They ignored his pleas as they bound his hands and carried him back to the boat.

Omi was right about the villagers, they were very keen to have Jack in their grasp. As they walked off, he called out after them.

"I'll get you….you haven't heard the last of Jack Spicer….wait…what are yo-….no ….not my hair! Arrrrrrrggghhhh!"

The four friends chuckled to themselves as they set off again. They would have many more adventures, Saru the Monkey Lord, Taka the Hawk , Xiong the Great Bear, and Momo-Omi- Taro- the Peach-Headed- Warrior Boy.


End file.
